Since its founding in 2010, One Colorado has celebrated a number of major victories -- from protecting LGBTQ students in their schools to securing civil unions for same-sex couples to removing barriers that transgender Coloradans face in getting the health care they need.

In early 2014, One Colorado welcomed its second-ever executive director: Dave Montez. We reached out to Dave to talk with him about his experience and his plans for One Colorado.

Equality Federation: How did you become involved in working as a leader for the LGBT movement?
Dave Montez of One Colorado: This work is personal for me, just like it is for so many others who find themselves in the world of LGBT advocacy. From coming of age as a gay Latino kid in a rural southern Colorado town, to lobbying my legislator for the passage of civil unions – and everything in between – I understand what equality means for LGBT Coloradans and our families. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still much more work to do. I look forward to working with LGBT people and our allies across the state to make sure that we all have the opportunity to live and love openly.

EF: What made you decide to apply for the Executive Director position at One Colorado?
DM: Colorado is in my soul, and I have spent most of my life here. After a very exciting year at GLAAD, it was time for me to return home. I know exactly what’s at stake in the fight for full equality. And I look forward to being on the team that brings it all home for my state.

EF: How have your experiences at GLAAD and Gill Foundation prepared you for this new role?
DM: The opportunity to work at the Gill Foundation and GLAAD has given me an understanding of the national LGBT movement and One Colorado's role within that movement. My brilliant colleagues at Gill and GLAAD have also given me extensive knowledge in making lasting policy and cultural change, and I understand fundraising from multiple streams: foundations, individuals, and corporations. But this opportunity isn't just about me. It's about young people living across Colorado -- making sure they're not bullied in school and that they know they're not alone.

EF: What are you most excited about tackling in your first year?
DM: Thanks to the great work done by the incredible leaders who got this organization off the ground, One Colorado is on its way to achieving full equality in our state. But we have more work to do. We still need marriage equality, we still need comprehensive immigration reform, and we still need laws that give trans* Coloradans an even playing field. We also need to understand that LGBT people are immigrants, women, people of color, voters, and students. LGBT issues aren't just about relationship recognition, nondiscrimination, and safe schools. We also care about learning and voting without barriers; we care about women having the freedom to make their own health choices; we care about immigration reform; we care about schools being adequately resourced; we care about low-income families having the resources and health coverage they need to make ends meet; and many other issues. One Colorado will continue to be a steadfast partner in all of these efforts.

EF: What kind of changes can we expect to see as One Colorado works towards full equality for the LGBT community in the Centennial State?
DM: With respect to securing the freedom to marry in Colorado, we have multiple paths available to overturn our state's constitutional ban on marriage equality -- which could happen either through the courts or by a vote of the people. We are pursuing all possibilities right now. Our goal is to achieve the freedom to marry for all Coloradans as quickly as possible. We also want to make sure that our victory endures.

Both pathways to victory require different strategies. However, there is one element they both share: the need for a robust public education campaign that reaches every corner of our state. Victories in other states have proven that our families' stories of love and commitment connect with people in a profound way. We must talk to folks about why marriage matters to all Coloradans – gay and straight alike – and why civil unions don’t give our families the full protection and dignity they need.

Even if this fight is ultimately won through a litigation strategy, it’s important to remember that our courts don't reach their decisions in a vacuum. They pay attention to where public opinion is on this issue, and that means we need to do everything in our power to run a public education campaign that complements these efforts and builds support for the freedom to marry among the people of Colorado. That is why we are doing this work right now.

EF: How would you define full equality, and how do we get there?
DM: Full equality is about more than just legal recognition -- it involves us working to change the culture in our state. There's a difference between having a civil union or marriage license and feeling comfortable enough to put a picture of your husband or wife on your desk at work. We have a statewide safe schools law, yet LGBT young people are still being bullied and harassed. We have a statewide nondiscrimination law, but I wonder how many transgender people get invited out for drinks after work with their colleagues.

This is the next frontier of our work. If we don't keep changing the way people see and treat LGBT people, we could easily see the legal protections we've achieved overturned down the road. And we cannot let that happen.

As for how we get there, we know that our families’ stories of love and commitment connect with people in a powerful way. It's also critical that we continue to cultivate and highlight the support of our allies in the sports world, media figures, elected officials, faith leaders, and other cultural influencers -- because these voices have a powerful impact on the American public and can help shape the way LGBT people are seen and understood.

Congratulations to Dave and the whole team at One Colorado -- we look forward to the great year ahead for LGBT Coloradans and their families!